Moms helping moms: grassroots movement helping families buy groceries
Moms helping moms: grassroots movement in the South Bay helping families buy groceries.
Moms helping moms: grassroots movement in the South Bay helping families buy groceries.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - "What is your favorite thing I cook and you take to school?" asked Raquel Smith.
"Spaghetti!" answered Callie Flores.
Callie Flores and her mom, Raquel Smith are thankful. Thankful to the moms who sent them a gift card, so they could buy a week's worth of groceries.
"It's very heartwarming. You do not know how blessed you are until things like that happen," said Smith.
Smith says she lost $600 a month in SNAP benefits. She saw a post on the Mountain View Moms Facebook page. It said 45 mothers have stepped up to help.
"I have two young kids of my own. The thought of them having to go hungry because of a disagreement within our government is absurd to me," said Alberta Yan.
Yan posted that she wanted to help other mothers. It soon turned into a movement of moms, wanting to sponsor families with gift cards for food.
"They posted a post, but I did not think I was going to get selected for it. I wrote, 'Hey it's me, I am a single mom. This is what's happening to me,'" said Smith.
Smith says she was contacted within 30 minutes. Then she sent over the information to verify her SNAP benefits. She got her gift card and peace of mind.
"It's amazing. I used to help people too. A lot of people would reach out, on these mom's groups. They need help. That's why I'm like, this is all my good karma, you know," Smith added.
Smith says she has not received any updates from Santa Clara County yet.
Between the mom's helping and local food banks, she is stocking up on food. Smith is working part-time, starting her own house cleaning business. Her daughter says she is proud of her mom for staying strong.
"She means a lot to me. She is one of my best friends. A lot of my family is not in my life, so she is really one of my best supporters."
The moms group has raised over $20,000 and helped 150 families. If you would like to contribute, you can do so here.
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